Another Fall TV season is nearly upon us… and it looks absolutely nothing like any of its predecessors.
You may have heard something about a pandemic that has turned the world on its head for much of 2020 — and the TV industry has been affected, too, delaying and halting production on countless series.
But even though the new offerings on broadcast (that’s ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW) are sparse though not quite nada due to the coronavirus, cable networks and streaming services have plenty to offer through the end of the year, and Team TVLine is here to help you sift through the upcoming projects. (Check out our handy Fall 2020 calendar for a full rundown of what’s ahead.)
In the list below, each TVLine editor has made his or her case for two fall TV picks, plus one pass. (As is tradition, we made our selections without revealing them to one another, so any overlap is purely coincidental. Most of us are reading this compiled list for the very first time, along with you!)
Last year, eight of our staff’s collective 14 “Watch!” recommendations apparently were heeded and earned renewals (though some favorites, like Hulu’s Reprisal and Netflix’s Daybreak, weren’t so lucky). Similarly, our most vocal “Skip!” suggestion from 2019 — CBS’ Patricia Heaton-led sitcom, Carol’s Second Act — indeed met a grim prognosis.
Scroll through the list below to see our picks and passes for 2020’s highly unusual Fall TV season, then hit the comments with the shows you plan to try!
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MICHAEL AUSIELLO SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO WATCH!
THE UNDOING (HBO): A COVID-related schedule shuffle pushed the Nicole Kidman vehicle from spring to fall, but believe me when I tell you the six-part thriller is more than worth the wait. Fans of the 2014 Jean Hanff Korelitz novel You Should Have Known, on which the limited series is based, are obviously well-versed on the central conceit, but it’s best to strap into this smartly paced, beautifully acted, profoundly suspenseful roller coaster blindly, as I did. (HBO’s aggressively vague, cryptic trailers certainly offered nary a clue as to what awaited me.) As an added bonus, director Susanne Bier (The Night Manager) gifts us with dozens of sumptuous shots of a supremely elegant Kidman purposefully strolling the wintry, romantic streets of Manhattan. (Premieres Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9/8c)
THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (Netflix): Spooky, well-timed lightning has indeed struck twice: The streamer’s follow-up to 2018’s The Haunting of Hill House is as gripping and grounded as its predecessor — with 10 times more Victoria Pedretti, to boot! (Releases Friday, Oct. 9; all nine episodes)
SKIP!
THE WALKING DEAD: WORLD BEYOND (AMC): The network is very wisely limiting this pointless, painfully inert, blatantly money-grabbing spinoff’s run to two seasons. A two-hour movie would’ve been way more than enough.
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MATT WEBB MITOVICH SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of AMC WATCH!
SOULMATES (AMC): The notion that a scientific breakthrough can unequivocally locate your soulmate is mined in all sorts of provocative ways in this six-episode anthology series, as the already-married get to second-guessing, while singletons face dilemmas all of their own. One entry in particular serves up a delicious twist on the technology’s possibilities… and pitfalls. (Premieres Monday, Oct. 5 at 10/9c)
DEPARTURE (Peacock): On my radar ever since TVLine contributor Amber Dowling touted it as a Hidden Canadian Gem, this six-episode drama reminded me of 24 in all the best ways, as Archie Panjabi’s investigation into a jetliner’s vanishing leads to reveal after plot twist after red herring after conspiracy. It’s one wild ride. (U.S. premiere Thursday, Sept. 17; all six episodes)
SKIP!
NOUGHTS + CROSSES (now streaming on Peacock): I was fascinated by the premise when we first reported on this alt-history U.K. series coming Stateside — perhaps too much so, because the execution is hobbled by so much unfulfilled potential, a half-realized world (Black Panther spoiled us greatly) and a lackluster “Romeo and Juliet” romance at its core. Timeless‘ Paterson Joseph and newcomer Jonathan Ajayi are among the bright spots, though, respectively playing the African-colonized Britain’s Home Secretary and the aforementioned couple’s nemesis.
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KIMBERLY ROOTS SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix WATCH!
THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (Netflix): I worried there was no way Mike Flanagan could follow up The Haunting of Hill House with something equally scary, yes, but also as intimate, detailed and heartbreaking as Season 1 of his anthology horror adaptation. I shouldn’t have worried. Season 2, loosely based on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, has me simultaneously freaked out and moved, just like the plight of the Crain children did in Season 1. Oh, and I’m back to thinking I see things moving in my periphery at night, so that’s fun. (Releases Friday, Oct. 9; all nine episodes)
HELSTROM (Hulu): I loved Fox’s The Exorcist. I miss Fox’s The Exorcist. But now I can take comfort in Helstrom, the story of a seriously messed-up brother and sister who confront evil and give me serious Exorcist vibes while they do so. The gallows humor is sharp, the casting is spot-on (particularly The Royals‘ Tom Austen as a conflicted demon hunter/ethics professor) and the story is ripped from the pages of Marvel — all of which makes for a riveting ride. (Releases Friday, Oct. 16; all 10 episodes)
SKIP!
RATCHED (Netflix): Ryan Murphy’s latest is gorgeously shot but joyless in the extreme, and Sarah Paulson’s dour title character grows tiresome very early on. Did anyone ask for this?
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ANDY SWIFT SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix WATCH!
JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS (Netflix): High School Musical meets Hocus Pocus in this Kenny Ortega-directed comedy series about three dead ’90s rockers (be wary of street meat!) who receive a second chance at stardom when a teen girl’s music summons them from realms beyond. Refreshingly inclusive and loaded with earworms, this is a rare Netflix offering that can be safely binged (and enjoyed!) by viewers of all ages. (Now streaming; all nine episodes)
EARTH TO NED (Disney+): At a time when most late-night TV hosts feel like puppets anyway, this take on the genre from the Jim Henson Company (starring a four-armed alien and his know-nothing crew of intergalactic sass-bots) feels like the next logical step. A worthy successor to Muppets Now, Earth to Ned‘s strongest asset is its cast of characters you can’t help but root for — which is good, because these goofballs really have no idea what they’re doing. (Now streaming; all 10 episodes)
SKIP!
SING ON! (Netflix): On paper, a karaoke competition hosted by Tituss Burgess should be a slam dunk, but Netflix’s latest flashy, high-concept reality venture is simply not as fun as advertised. It’s clear that something about this international adaptation was lost in translation. And I can’t believe I’m about to type these words, but… it’s no Masked Singer.
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DAVE NEMETZ SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hulu WATCH!
WOKE (Hulu): Lamorne Morris is terrific as a Black cartoonist who has an unexpected political awakening in this smartly observed satire that handles tricky subject matter with a light, comical touch. Racial injustice isn’t a barrel of laughs, but Woke manages to find the absurd humor in it without getting preachy, and it’s all anchored by Morris’ hilarious, humane lead performance. (Now streaming; all eight episodes)
THE DUCHESS (Netflix): If you’re missing Catastrophe, meet your next binge. Stand-up comic Katherine Ryan announces herself as a comedy force to be reckoned with in this acid-tongued U.K. comedy about a Chardonnay-guzzling mom who’s set on having another kid… as long as it doesn’t interfere with her “me time.” It’s a fierce and funny wine mom’s manifesto with a refreshingly cynical take on parenthood. (Now streaming; all six episodes)
SKIP!
NEXT (Fox): If only this were the old MTV dating show, and we could just shout, “Next!” and order up a new starring vehicle for John Slattery to replace this gloomy, technobabble-heavy snoozer.
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VLADA GELMAN SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Peacock WATCH!
DEPARTURE (Peacock): This British-Canadian thriller, starring The Good Wife fave Archie Panjabi and Oscar winner Christopher Plummer, has its faults — why must there always be a sullen teenage son mucking things up? — but the mystery of who is responsible for the disappearance of a commercial flight has enough twists to make you never want to fly again. (U.S. premiere Thursday, Sept. 17; all six episodes)
TRANSPLANT (NBC): With Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, New Amsterdam, The Good Doctor and The Resident on hiatus until perhaps November (or later), this Canadian drama about a Syrian refugee/doc who must start his residency all over again offers a fresh perspective and an engaging fix for fans of medical shows. (Currently airing Tuesdays at 10/9c)
SKIP!
NEXT (Fox): Though the new broadcast-TV pickings are slim this fall, you still don’t need to waste your time on this bland drama about what happens when A.I. goes bad. If you want to watch a truly scary and exciting show about the dangers of technology, binge Season 1 of CBS’ Evil (or all of Person of Interest).
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REBECCA IANNUCCI SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix WATCH!
THE DUCHESS (Netflix): Comedian Katherine Ryan shines in this biting Netflix series, centered on a single mom who wants to have another child… if she can only find the right baby daddy first. Come for the sarcastic one-liners; stay for the delightful relationship between Katherine and her daughter, Olive, which gives the comedy a big, beating heart beneath all that cynicism. (Now streaming; all six episodes)
WE ARE WHO WE ARE (HBO): Luca Guadagnino’s portrait of adolescent life on a U.S. military base may, admittedly, take a minute to grow on you. But the more time you spend with angsty teens Fraser and Caitlin, the more their explorations of love and identity will make your heart ache. If you’re a fan of Guadagnino’s past work — particularly 2017’s languid, intoxicating romance Call Me by Your Name — it’s worth going with the auteur on his latest trip to Italy. (Premieres Monday, Sept. 14 at 10/9c)
SKIP!
THE COMEY RULE (Showtime): Aside from introducing Brendan Gleeson’s excellent Donald Trump impersonation to the world, it’s unclear what purpose this Showtime miniseries is serving. In the last four years, the 2016 presidential race has been autopsied enough; as America approaches another crucial election, this time with a pandemic ravaging the globe, this dull dissection of the Clinton/Trump face-off — led by a terribly bland performance from Jeff Daniels — feels entirely unnecessary.
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RYAN SCHWARTZ SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Amazon Prime WATCH!
UTOPIA (Amazon Prime): The last thing I wanted to watch in these #Quarantimes was a TV show about a mysterious pandemic. Or so I thought. This high-stakes conspiracy thriller — about a comic book whose threats to humanity are verrrrry real — hooked me almost instantly. Even before I had a firm grasp on what was going on, I was invested in the characters, thanks in no small part to the show’s terrific ensemble. Desmin Borges (You’re the Worst), Sasha Lane (Hellboy) and Christopher Denham (Billions) are especially great. (Releases Friday, Sept. 25; all eight episodes)
WOKE (Hulu): Don’t let the title of this surreal comedy turn you off. New Girl‘s Lamorne Morris is terrific in the role of Keef Knight, a Black cartoonist who wakes up to racism following a brush with police violence. (Now streaming; all eight episodes)
SKIP!
FILTHY RICH (Fox): This holdover from last season is a poor man’s Dynasty (no offense, TVLine’s Andy Swift!), with a surprisingly low-energy performance from Kim Cattrall at its center. It isn’t half as fun (or as campy) as it should be.
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NICK CARUSO SAYS...
Image Credit: Courtesy of Disney+ WATCH!
EARTH TO NED (Disney+): Disappointed by Muppets Now? Earth to Ned can fill that puppet-sized hole in your childlike heart. Helmed by the Jim Henson Company, this mock late-night show is hosted by alien commander Ned, an E.T. who’s obsessed with Earth’s celebrity culture. Assisted by his lieutenant Cornelius, they beam famous faces (including comedians Andy Richter and Kristen Schaal) up to their ship for interviews, games and more, all while trying to figure out the secret sauce behind successful talk shows. The series’ sharp writing and top-notch puppetry make for a super-fun binge for fans of all ages. (Now streaming; all 10 episodes)
THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (Netflix): The Haunting of Hill House was a work of art, so I’m happy to report Bly Manor is just as effective. We follow an American nanny who moves to the English countryside to care for orphaned siblings whose last au pair suffered a mysterious death. Of course, it’s not long before things go bump in the night, but a subdued tone and fresh approach help this Turn of the Screw adaptation stand on its own feet. Cue the soul-crushing grief! (Releases Friday, Oct. 9; all nine episodes)
SKIP!
MONSTERLAND (Hulu): Based on a collection of short stories by Nathan Ballingrud, this horror anthology offers decent performances that are left for dead by meandering narratives and excessive reaching for style points. Guest stars like Star Wars‘ Kelly Marie Tran and Unbelievable‘s Kaitlyn Dever (the high point here, by leaps and bounds) ignite sparks of potential, but the tales it tells prove underwhelming and convoluted. Hold out for Creepshow’s return instead.
